Akershus Castle - courtyard
Built to protect Oslo, the Akershus Castle first began construction in the 1290s under the direction of King Haakon V. A beautiful facility on both the inside and out, the castle sports a renaissance appearance. During its reign over the Norway capital, the fortress was never successfully capture by a foreign enemy. It was, however, turned over without combat in 1940 to Nazi Germany during World War II. Today, the castle continues to function as a military area serving as headquarters for the Norwegian Ministry of Defense and the Defense Staff Norway. It also houses the Norwegian Armed Forces Museum and the Norwegian Resistance Museum. The castle is open to the public on a daily basis.
